Catholic Facts Short Course

The Apostles' Creed

The Apostles' Creed, the Nicene Creed and the Athanasion Creeds were developed as a response to heresies that emerged early in the Church. The creeds summarize and affirm core our beliefs. The creeds separate the wheat of truth form the chaff of perversity. Those that can affirm the truths of the creeds, are part of the body of Christ. Those people that call themselves Christian but profess beliefs contrary to the Creeds, are usually members of a cult.

For example, Jehova's Wittnesses claim that Jesus is not the Son of God. They believe that Christ is actually the reincarnation of the Arch-Angel Michael. While many Witnesses may be "good people", their theology is not Christian.

The material below was written by D.Fetteroll of St.Philip Howard Catholic High School, Diocese of Arundel & Brighton - West Sussex, England.

Beliefs

Christians have drawn up a list of things that they all believe about their God. We call a list or summary of religious beliefs - a creed. The word 'creed' comes from the latin meaning 'I believe'.

In the Church of the first Christians it soon became clear that everyone needed a list or summary of exactly what they believed in. It was also necessary when people were trying to make other people Christian. It is hardly possible to teach a person about a faith unless everyone agrees what they have faith in. Part of the process of joining the first Christians was a series of lessons and tests (known as scrutinies) which were based on the Apostles Creed. It was said (recited) just before a person was baptised and became known as a 'baptismal creed'.

From very early on a creed on the main beliefs of Christianity was used in the preparation of new Christians and as a prayer. It was said that it came from the Apostles (the 12 specially appointed followers of Jesus) and so the creed became known as the 'Apostles Creed'.

Even today Christians see the need for a creed as being very important. It makes it absolutely clear what being a Christian means and what a Christian must have faith in. Even though Christianity is about action and practice it is still very important to share the same faith. You cannot be a Christian unless you follow the principles in this creed. All Christians, whatever their church or denomination would believe what is in the Apostles' Creed.

The Text of the Apostles Creed

I believe in God the Father Almighty,

Maker of heaven and earth;

And in Jesus Christ,

His only Son our Lord,

Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,

Born of the Virgin Mary,

Suffered under Pontius Pilate,

Was crucified, dead and buried;

He descended into hell

The third day he rose again from the dead;

He ascended into heaven,

And is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty;

From there he shall come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit;

the Holy Catholic Church;

the Communion of Saints;

the forgiveness of sins;

the resurrection of the body;

and the life everlasting.

Understanding the Apostles' Creed

As well as knowing the contents of the Apostles' Creed a Christian must also understand what each phrase means. We also have to go through this process if we are to do well at GCSE. So in the next few pages we will go through each part of the Creed and study what it means for Christians.

I believe

The first two words of the Apostles' Creed are very important. When a Christian says these two words at the start of the creed they are saying two things:

That the person accepts what follows is true

That the person has faith, trusts and commits themselves to the list that follows.

The phrase 'I believe' reflects the fact that the Apostles' Creed is a 'profession of faith'. This means that a Christian says out loud what they believe in. While the Creed is also said in silence and as a prayer as well as being said by the community together, we must always remember that this is a personal set of beliefs.

The first thing that a Christian states that they believe in is:

I believe in God the Father Almighty,

Maker of heaven and earth.

Christians believe in a personal God, not just a power or energy within the universe. We call this belief 'theism'. Christians also believe in one personal God and this is known as 'monotheism'. People who believe in many gods are known as 'polytheists'. Those individuals who do not know whether there is a god or gods are known as 'agnostics', while those who are certain there is no God or gods are known as 'atheists'.

As well as believing in one personal God, a Christian also believes that this God is Father. In the Tanak and in the New Testament God is often called Father. Jesus used the word 'abba' which means 'daddy' in his teaching. In a great deal of his teaching Jesus refers to God as Father.

Of course God as Father is in a different sense to the person we call Father. However, it is important to remember that the sense shares some of the same ideas that we experience of being a father of having a father. Christians see God as father because:

God has authority (power). In many traditions and societies the Father has a role to be in charge or to lead his family.

God loves his creation. Just as a child loves and trusts their Father and the Father loves their child, so in the case of God. God cares, protects, helps and supports his creation and he does this in a personal way.

Christians also believe that God is 'Almighty'. This means 'all-powerful'. When Christians believe that they believe that God can do anything (that is logically possible to do! Not even God can make a square circle!). This means that Christians believe that God has complete power. Not only can God want to care for his creation but he can do this as well.

Christians also believe that God is 'maker of heaven and earth'. We have already seen last year how the people of the time saw the world. The earth had a kind of roof that separated it from heaven. What this phrase is saying is that God made absolutely everything. There was no other creator, God created everything. They also believe that therefore everything in the universe is fundamentally good. It is interesting to notice that God is 'maker' that implies that he is still making the universe. The Creed does not state how God made earth or heaven, but this was not the aim of this creed. The point the first Christians wanted everyone to have faith in was that God is not only all-powerful but that he is the ultimate power in the universe and is responsible for everything.

Christians put their belief in God as Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth into practice in many different ways. In many of their prayers Christians refer to God as Father. In their attitudes they try to show respect for creation and try to care for it because they consider that it is God's. They try to behave as God might in looking after their family. Christians try to put God at the centre of all that they do in their lives.

Jesus Christ

Not only do Christians say that they believe in God as Father, they also believe in Jesus Christ.

And in Jesus Christ,

His only Son our Lord,

Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,

Born of the Virgin Mary,

Suffered under Pontius Pilate,

Was crucified, dead and buried;

He descended into hell

The third day he rose again from the dead;

He ascended into heaven,

And is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty;

From there he shall come to judge the living and the dead.

Christians believe that Jesus was the Messiah (saviour), another word for this belief is 'Christ'. They know this by faith and often mention the word 'Christ' along with Jesus' name to stress this belief.

To try and explain the relationship with God the Father, Christians compare Jesus as a son. When it is used in connection with Jesus, we do not mean that Christians believe that Jesus has been created by God the Father. What Christians are saying is that the relationship between God the Father and Jesus is like the relationship a Father might have with his son. Christians also stress that this relationship is special by using the word 'only'.

They also call Jesus the 'Lord'. The word 'lord' comes from the greek word 'kyrios' which is a translation of the Hebrew word 'adonai'. 'Adonai' is the word Jews use to describe God (Yahweh). So when Christians say that Jesus is lord they mean that Jesus is their God and master. Jesus has the power and authority of God.

The next section of the Apostles' Creed links Jesus to the historical figure that we read about in the New Testament. It is an important section because it tries to explain a very important belief of Christianity, that is that Jesus is fully human and fully divine (God). We call this belief the incarnation.

Human life begins with conception and the Apostles' Creed states that Jesus was 'conceived by the Holy Spirit'. The Holy Spirit is the power, energy, life- giving force of God. Christians believe that this life-giving force or energy is so active in the world and their lives that they regard the Spirit as a person of God. By stating this phrase Christians are showing faith in the events of the New Testament Birth stories (narratives) that can be found in Matthew 1:18-25 and Luke 1:26-38. The conception of Jesus is the work of the Holy Spirit and starts his human existence.

To show that Jesus is fully human the Apostles' Creed mentions that Jesus was ' born of the Virgin Mary'. The word 'incarnation' means 'enfleshed' and it is this making human that Christians consider is important in Jesus' salvation of humankind. Only by being fully human can Jesus do the things necessary for all people to be saved. The mention of Mary's virginity is showing that this birth was not only special but that Mary was fully dependent on God. Mary had complete trust and belief in God and for many Christians this fact makes her a model for all Christians.

The Apostles' Creed emphasizes the life of Jesus that he really did suffer, that he really did die by crucifixion and that he really did rise on the third day and finally that he really did ascend into heaven. In many ways this is the central foundation of the Christian faith. You can hardly be a Christian if you do not believe that he died, rose and ascended. In the early Church there was much discussion about whether Jesus had actually died. To make it absolutely clear the Creed states that he was buried and that 'he descended into hell'.

If you remember how the people saw the world at this time, then the mention of hell is stressing that Jesus was really dead. The mention of the third day is also because many people at the time of the writing of the Creed considered that a person was not truly dead until they had been buried for 3 days.

When Christians believe that Jesus ascended they are showing a belief that Jesus has returned to his relationship with God as God. To stress this point that Jesus was now with God they state that Jesus was now:

And is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty;

From there he shall come to judge the living and the dead.

This phrase is showing that Christians believe that Jesus has a special relationship with God and the belief that Jesus will come again. It is also reminding Christians that they will be judged and that along with believing these things they must also put this belief into practice in their daily lives.

One of the main ways many Christians put their faith in Jesus into practice is by celebrating the events of the life of Jesus. The Incarnation is celebrated through the feast of Christmas, while the death and resurrection of Jesus is celebrated at Lent and Easter. We will look at these celebrations later in our course. As well as this they try to copy the life of Jesus as closely as they can.

The Holy Spirit

In this section we are going to examine what the Apostles' Creed says about some other important things.

I believe in the Holy Spirit;

the Holy Catholic Church;

the Communion of Saints;

the forgiveness of sins;

the resurrection of the body;

and the life everlasting.

We have already seen that the Holy Spirit is the power, energy, life- giving force of God. Christians believe that there are three persons of God: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. It is important to understand that these are not three Gods or even parts of God. They are three distinct persons in or of God. This belief is called the Trinity. Especially in the New Testament it is possible to see the three persons of God at work. Today Christians see much of the work of the Church as through the influence of the Holy Spirit.

Christians recognise that this is the most difficult idea to understand and often they say that it really is a mystery. We can have some understanding but it is not fully possible to understand this relationship.

Christians also believe in the 'Holy Catholic Church'. The word 'church' means a community and a building. In the Apostles Creed it means all those who are followers of Christianity (i.e. the community). The word 'catholic' means 'universal'. So the Apostles' Creed believes that Christians believe in a worldwide community of Christians. They add to this the idea that this is also special or holy. This phrase means that Christians believe that God is within the community and continuing his work through the work of all those who make up this community. St.Paul explained this idea by using the image of the Body of Christ. Just as many parts make up one body, Paul compared the work of God with the work of each individual.

Christians also state that they believe in the 'communion of saints'. We have just seen that the church is holy, so it follows that everyone who is in this community are saints. In the early Christian community all followers were called saints because they were holy people. 'Communion' means being one with. So this phrase means that Christians are united not just worldwide but also across time by a common bond of belief.

Towards the end of the Apostles creed it states that a Christian believes in the 'forgiveness of sins'. A sin is a human failing (it can be an action or thought) that stops a person enjoying God's life. The Christian community recognised that even they were holy and special, they are still able to sin. They realised that God is able to forgive all sins, because he wants his followers to return to a complete relationship with him. For this reason Christians believe that sins can be forgiven so that people can return to God. Roman Catholics use the sacrament of reconciliation to illustrate this belief in a forgiven God.

Christians also believe in the resurrection of the body. Just as Jesus rose again, so Christians have faith that they too will be resurrected. The mention of a body reminds Christians that it will be a real existence, though it will be with be in a different type of body. This phrase is making clear that death is not the end but just a change from one kind of life to another.

Finally Christians believe in life everlasting. This means that Christians will share in the life that Jesus has shown through his resurrection and ascension. They also belief that this new life will be everlasting, that is that it will go on until the end of time. This is why Christians try to behave throughout their life in a good way. They see that ultimately they will be judged on their actions in this world.

How the Apostles' Creed is used by Christians

As well as being a profession of faith, the Apostles Creed is also used in the worship of the Church. In the Roman Catholic Church the Apostles Creed is the basis of the baptismal promises. On Easter Sunday Roman Catholics renew their vows by being questioned as to whether they still believe in the contents of the creed.

Virtually all Christians would accept the Apostles Creed, so it has become a useful source of inspiration for Christian Unity services. Services that celebrate the common features of Christianity often are centred on the Apostles Creed. When the pope visited the Archbishop of Canterbury in Canterbury Cathedral, the service was based on the Apostles Creed.

Christians should use the creed as the basis for all their attitudes, behaviour and values. It is only through their belief in God as a Trinity that they act the way they do. The Apostles' creed is a constant reminder to all Christians of their faith and how they are to show this in their daily lives.